Tcim 


THE  TIES  THAT  BIND 


Responses  to  the 

^‘Fraternal  Address  of  Southern  Baptists” 


BY 

J.  F.  LOVE,  Corresponding  Secretary 


FOREIGN  MISSION  BOARD 
SOUTHERN  Baptist  convention 
RICHMOND,  VA. 


(k  » 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/tiesthatbindrespOOIove 


Pfltn 


The  Ties  That  Bind 


There  is  in  human  society  nothing  quite  so  re¬ 
markable  for  its  power  to  hold  together  in  a 
compact  brotherhood  a  heterogeneous  aggre¬ 
gation  of  individuals  as  is  a  common  religious  faith. 
Religious  ideas  are  the  most  potent  things  that  operate 
in  the  moral  and  social  world.  When  once  great  re¬ 
ligious  principles  have  been  discovered  and  have  been 
given  simple  and  clear  definition,  they  serve  to  bind 
men  and  women  of  great  variety  of  circumstance  and 
talent,  diversity  of  training  and  remoteness  of  resi¬ 
dence  into  a  close  and  congenial  fellowship.  It  is 
surprising  that  this  unifying  power  of  a  common  re¬ 
ligious  faith  expressed  in  definite  terms  is  not  more 
generally  recognized  among  thoughtful  men.  Re¬ 
ligious  belief  is  the  great  divider  and  the  great  uniter 
of  the  human  race.  Nothing  so  effectually  separates 
men  and  builds  up  barriers  to  communication  between 
them  as  do  contrary  religious  faiths,  and  nothing  so 
bridges  the  chasm  between  men  of  different  nationali¬ 
ties  and  varied  individual  characteristics  as  do  distinc¬ 
tive  common  articles  of  religious  belief.  Even  ties  of 
family,  blood  and  nation  yield  to  religious  ideas  and 
the  spiritual  affinities  which  they  create. 

Perhaps  the  truth  of  this  is  not  more  convincingly^ 
illustrated  than  in  the  fact  and  history  of  the  Baptist 
brotherhood  throughout  the  world.  This  brotherhood 
not  only  comprehends  men  and  women  of  all  classes, 
colors,  nationalities,  countries,  conditions,  but  the  prin¬ 
ciple  of  democracy,  that  is  to  say,  individual  responsi- 

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bility  and  personal  right  and  freedom,  is  emphasized 
among  Baptists  as  among  no  other  people.  Neverthe¬ 
less,  the  few  simple,  distinctive  articles  of  Baptist 
faith  have  such  unifying  force  that  they  bind  together 
all  these  individuals  into  a  unity  which  is  scarcely 
equalled  in  any  other  social  or  even  religious  group. 
The  Baptist  unity  is  not  enforced  or  preserved  by 
legislation  or  superintendence,  but  by  the  sheer  force 
of  a  few  distinctive  religious  principles  stated  in  suc¬ 
cinct  definition  with  appeal  to  the  New  Testament 
which  makes  their  sacredness  transparent.  There  was 
a  deep  underlying  philosophy  in  the  mind  of  the  Apos¬ 
tle  Paul  in  reducing  the  Christian  message  to  simple, 
dogmatic  terms  as  “one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,” 
and  in  summing  up  the  gospel  as  being  “how  Christ 
died  for  our  sins,”  “was  buried  and  rose  again.”  It 
was  by  the  coherency  of  a  simple  common  faith  that 
the  scattered  and  persecuted  believers  of  those  early 
times  were  welded  together  and  made  into  an  impene¬ 
trable,  irresistible  and  invincible  Christianity.  When¬ 
ever  religious  faith  is  given  such  definition  as  to  enable 
common  men  to  grasp  it  and  becomes  a  conviction 
which  goes  deep  enough  to  grip  and  hold  the  human 
spirit,  that  faith  reacts  upon  men  and  women  as  a 
cementing  element  to  constitute  a  brotherhood  out  of 
men  and  women  of  diverse  minds,  interests  and 
classes. 

Keligious  sentiment  is,  of  course,  to  be  reckoned 
with,  but  religious  sentiment,  considered  as  a  social 
harmonizer  and  coherent  element  in  society,  always 
gathers  about  religious  ideas.  Christian  truth  in  par¬ 
ticular  has  such  pungency  and  potency  that  it  touches 
and  stimulates  the  fountains  of  emotion  and  sentiment, 
and  thus  becomes  a  fusing  force  in  society.  It  is  im- 

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possible  to  think  of  permanent  fellowship  between  men 
who  differ  radically  on  great  principles  of  morality  or 
religion.  The  gospel  is  something  which  must  be  told, 
understood,  accepted,  and  then  experienced.  A  true 
and  abiding  brotherhood  is,  therefore,  impossible  with¬ 
out  bonds  of  truth  to  hold  men  together.  It  is  a  shal¬ 
low  philosophy  which,  in  the  interest  of  brotherhood, 
discards  or  deprecates  articles  of  religious  faith  with¬ 
out  regard  to  their  soundness  or  the  conviction  of  those 
who  hold  them.  A  little  knowledge  of  history  would 
help  the  philosopher  just  here. 

For  several  years  prior  to  1919  the  advocates  of 
larger  Christian  fellow^ship ,  federation  and  co-opera¬ 
tion  crowded  Southern  Baptists  to  the  point  of  keen 
embarrassment  with  their  programs,  platforms  and 
preachments,  and  did  so  with  amazing  ignorance  or 
disregard  of  the  simple  faith  of  these  people  and  the 
sacredness  with  wdiich  Baptists  regard  the  historic 
faith  which  makes  up  their  creed.  They  miscalculated 
the  strength  of  the  bonds  of  brotherhood  which  a 
common  faith,  stated  in  explicit  terms,  creates.  Strong 
popular  speakers  and  writers,  with  religious  organs  de¬ 
voted  to  their  service  and  the  aid  of  certain  publishing 
houses  which  desired  the  patronage  of  all  religious 
bodies,  carried  forward  an  agitation,  framed  up  an 
organization,  and,  gaining  courage  and  boldness  by 
early  successes,  sought  to  drive  the  wedge  of  senti¬ 
ment  into  denominational  ranlrs  with  little  concern  for 
either  denominational  conscience  and  sensitiveness  or 
the  philosophy  of  the  situation.  For  awhile  there  was 
tumult  in  the  denominational  camp.  It  became  a 
question  in  some  minds  as  to  whether  the  denomina¬ 
tional  lines  would  hold  or  Southtern  Baptists  would 
capitulate  to  the  Union  Movement,  and,  in  such  event. 


the  only  really  serious  and  strong  barrier  to  its  policies 
be  removed.  A  few  sessions  of  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention,  beginning  with  1912,  were  much  dis¬ 
turbed,  and  the  interim  between  them  range  with  de¬ 
fensive  and  olfensive  artillery  of  words.  Although  all 
the  participants  may  not  have  recognized  it,  the  real 
issue  was  whether  sentiment  divorced  from  definitive 
truth  could  effectually  stampede  those  who  held  a  com¬ 
mon  historic  faith.  Finally  the  hour  of  decision  came 
and  the  denomination  had  to  square  itself  to  meet  it. 
There  was  a  thrilling  consolidation  of  thought  and 
sentiment  in  the  denomination.  Southern  Baptists  met 
the  issue.  The  threatened  inundation  of  sentiment 
rolled  back  and  the  denominational  solidarity  and  fel¬ 
lowship,  enforced  by  structural  truth,  were  unmoved. 
Indeed,  it  was  found  that  Southern  Baptists  were  more 
unified  than  ever.  There  was  no  break  in  their  ranks 
or  the  spirit  of  their  fellowship. 

The  immovableness  of  Southern  Baptists  before 
the  Union  Movement  is  a  fine  illustration  of  the  power 
of  a  clearly  defined  religious  faith  to  unify  a  large  and 
widely  scattered  number  of  Christian  men  and  women. 
For  one  hundred  years  or  more  preachers  of  the 
South,  disregardful  of  new  theologies,  materialistic  and 
rationalistic  theories,,  preached  the  New  Testament, 
proclaimed  it  as  the  rule  of  faith  and  law  of  Chris¬ 
tian  life.  Unmoved  by  the  loud  claims  and  lordly  airs 
of  the  intellectuals  and  the  fervent  vociferations  of  the 
faddists,  humble  men  went  scouting  for  sinners 
throughout  the  South,  making  their  appeals  to  tht 
Word  of  God  and  admonishing  all  men  to  follow  where 
that  Word  led.  In  this  way  a  homogeneous  Baptist 
life  was  built  up  in  the  South  and  conscience  was 
created  for  faith  which  could  be  supported  by  the 


New  Testament.  A  consequence  was  boldness  in  the 
faith  which  rendered  men  unembarrassed  in  owning 
their  religious  principles  on  any  occasion.  Three  mil¬ 
lion  volunteer  church  members  had  come  to  look 
upon  the  Baptist  faith  as  so  sacred  as  to  be  the  last 
thing  yielded  up.  It  was  on  this  conscience  for  the 
truth  and  the  denominational  solidarity  which  is  had 
created  that  the  Union  Movement  broke.  Southern 
Baptist  dissent  from  the  platform  of  the  federationists 
was  positive  and  clear,  yet  courteous,  and  it  secured 
for  them  an  unequalled  advantage  in  projecting  a 
great  work. 

When  the  Convention  met  in  Atlanta  in  1919,  it 
had  become  evident  that  the  denomination,  having  been 
thus  forced  into  a  negative  position,  it  ought,  for  the 
sake  of  being  understood,  for  the  sake  of  its  future, 
and  in  the  face  of  an  extraordinary  world  situation,  to 
announce  a  positive  program ;  and,  having  declared 
non-alliance  with  those  who  were  conunitted  to  policies 
which  we  could  not  in  conscience  adopt,  seek  to  test 
and  strengthen  the  bonds  which  exist  between  South¬ 
ern  Baptists  and  all  other  Baptist  groups  throughout 
the  world.  Dissenting  from  a  union  that  ignored  the 
bonds  of  truth,  which  alone  could  hold  men  together, 
it  was  incumbent  upon  Southern  Baptists  to  state 
the  terms  on  which  they  would  welcome  union.  Feel¬ 
ing  these  things  strongly,  the  writer  prepared  for  the 
Foreign  Mission  Board,  to  be  presented  in  its  report 
to  the  Atlanta  Convention,  an  inquiry  whether  the 
Convention  would  authorize  the  Board  to  make  a  sur¬ 
vey  of  Europe  and  the  Near  East,  and  enter  into  larger 
and  more  intimate  fellowship  with  their  Baptist  breth¬ 
ren  of  Europe,  and  undertake  a  more  comprehensive 
missionary  program.  Looking  forward  to  the  Con- 

i 


vention,  we  addressed  a  letter  to  Dr.  J.  B.  Gambrell, 
President,  suggesting  that  in  his  presidential  address 
he  set  the  thought  of  the  Convention  to  a  larger  Bap¬ 
tist  fellowship  and  a  closer  co-operation  among  Bap¬ 
tists  in  lieu  of  the  interdenominational  program.  It 
was  further  suggested  that  the  address  be  in  such  form 
that  it  could  sent  out  by  the  Foreign  Mission  Board 
as  a  sort  of  fraternal  greeting  and  statement  of  the 
common  Baptist  faith  throughout  the  world.  Dr. 
Gambrell  welcomed  the  suggestion  in  a  most  cordial 
letter,  but  as  the  time  for  his  address  approached, 
cricumstances  incident  to  the  Interchurch  Movement, 
then  aproaching  its  zenith  of  popularity  and  preten¬ 
tiousness,  engaged  him,  and  the  address  which  he 
delivered,  while  having  great  value  and  serving  a  large 
purpose,  was  not  intended  for  nor  adapted  to  the  ends 
contemplated  in  our  correspondence.  Consequently, 
after  consultation  with  Dr.  E.  Y.  Mullins,  Dr.  Gam¬ 
brell  and  a  few  other  brethren,  and  receiving  their 
encouragement,  the  writer  offered  to  the  Convention 
the  following  resolution,  naming,  as  will  be  seen,  the 
personnel  of  the  committee  which  it  was  intended  to 
create : 

^’"Resolved^  That  a  committee  of  five  messengers  to 
the  Convention  be  appointed  to  prepare  greetings  of 
this  Convention  of  Southern  Baptists  to  the  people  of 
‘like  precious  faith  with  us’  scattered  abroad  in  all 
nations. 

“That  the  committee  be  composed  of  E.  Y.  Mullins, 
L.  R.  Scarborough,  J.  B.  Gambrell,  Z.  T.  Cody  and 
William  Ellyson.” 

In  offering  the  resolution  it  was  explained  that  the 
address  to  be  prepared  would  carry  such  a  statement 


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of  the  common  faith  of  our  Baptist  people  as  would 
show  the  bond  of  unity  between  them,  and  make  it 
possible  for  Christians  who  hold  the  Baptist  faith  un¬ 
der  other  names  to  establish  their  identity  with  it. 
The  committee,  wdth  Dr.  Mullins  as  its  chairman,  did 
an  excellent  piece  of  work.  Dr.  I.  J.  Van  Ness,  Cor¬ 
responding  Secretary  of  the  Sunday  School  Board  of 
the  Southern  Baptist  Convention,  was  quick  to  see  the 
possibilities  of  such  a  piece  of  literature,  and  was  most 
generous  in  having  the  Sunday  School  Board  finance 
the  publication  of  the  address.  The  results  from  cir¬ 
culating  the  address  have  more  than  fulfilled  expec¬ 
tations.  The  demand  for  it  and  the  welcome  which  it 
has  received  have  been  most  gratifying.  An  English 
edition  of  86,000  has  been  printed,  of  which  a  copy 
was  sent  to  every  English-speaking  Baptist  minister 
whose  address  could  be  found,  and  it  has  been  printed 
in  translation  in  many  languages,  and  in  several  in¬ 
stances  in  successive  and  large  editions.  For  instance, 
German  and  Polish  Baptists  have  recently  issued 
second  editions  of  100,000  each. 

The  Fraternal  Address  which  Southern  Baptists 
thus  put  forth  as  a  greeting  to  “Those  of  like  pre¬ 
cious  faith  with  us”  and  which  carried  an  outline  of 
the  “things  most  commonly  believed  among  us,”  has 
evoked  a  most  remarkable  response.  It  has  indeed 
provoked  such  a  volume  of  correspondence  from  many 
lands  as,  for  one  thing,  to  enable  us  to  establish  in 
the  Foreign  Mission  Booms  a  bureau  of  communica¬ 
tion  with  most  Baptist  groups  the  world  over.  Going 
forth  as  it  did  at  a  time  of  universal  distress,  its  fra¬ 
ternal  spirit  has  met  the  warmest  response,  but,  for 
those  who  are  proud  of  and  jealous  of  the  faith  of 


9 


Baptists  as  we  understand  and  preach  it,  the  chief 
ground  of  rejoicing  will  be  in  the  evidence  brought 
forth  by  this  address  that  Baptists  are  one  people  and 
that  there  is  a  great  host  of  them.  With  only  here 
an  there  a  discordant  note  or  variation  in  accent, 
they  “speak  the  same  things.”  Those  Baptists  who 
cherish  the  ancient  faith  of  their  people  constitute  an 
overwhelming  majority,  call  them  conservatives,  fun¬ 
damentalists,  or  what  you  will.  The  radical,  the  liberal, 
the  faddist,  is  a  lonely  exception  in  comparison  with 
the  great  host  of  those  who  are  orthodox  after  the 
standards  to  which  Southern  Baptists  agree.  This  is 
the  testimony  of  the  large  and  wide  correspondence 
which  the  address  has  provoked. 

To  show  how  widespread  is  the  faith  of  Southern 
Baptists,  how  homogeneous  this  democratic  brother¬ 
hood  is,  how  strong  the  Baptist  fellowship,  and  the 
reality  and  significance  of  this  fact  of  our  unity  in  the 
faith,  we  make  some  extracts  from  the  correspondence. 
Long  and  more  formal  responses  must  be  omitted. 
For  instance,  the  official  response  which  British  Bap¬ 
tists  made  to  the  address,  and  which  has  already  been 
given  to  Southern  Baptists  through  the  denominational 
papers,  is  omitted  because  of  the  limitations  which 
space  places  upon  us.  Those  extracts  which  we  do 
give  will  be  sufficient  to  show  how  widely  representa¬ 
tive  and  cordial  have  been  these  responses  to  Southern 
Baptist  overture  for  a  closer  fellowship  with  their 
brethren,  and  how  universally  acceptable  is  the  simple 
and  explicit  statement  of  faith  which  the  committee 
drafted. 

The  address  has  been  printed  in  many  languages 
and  circulated  in  many  lands.  We  quote  by  countries: 


10 


AMERICAN  STATES. 


Maine. 

“Sometime  ago  I  received  a  copy  of  the  ‘Fraternal  Ad¬ 
dress  of  Southern  Baptists,’  and  at  your  invitation  I  would  like 
you  to  know  that  I  am  thoroughly  in  accord  with  the  message, 
It  cannot  be  overestimated.  I  wonder  if  I  can  secure  fifty 
copies  or  so  to  distribute  among  brethren  here  who  were  not 
fortunate  enough  to  receive  a  complimentary  copy.  Some  of 
us  here  are  trying  to  stand  firmly  for  ‘the  faith  once  delivered 
to  the  saints.’  ’’ 


Rhode  Island. 

“With  an  ever  increasing  interest  and  gratitude  to  God, 
I  read  and  re-read  the  ‘Fraternal  Address  of  Southern  Bap¬ 
tists’  which  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  receive.  It  is  like 
finding  an  oasis  in  our  ecclesiastical  desert  of  distraction.  To 
all  that  the  address  stands  for  I,  with  deep  devotion,  subscribe 
a  grand  Amen.  I  praise  God  for  the  motive  that  prompted 
the  effort  and  those  who  compiled  it.’’ 


Washington. 

“In  the  Fraternal  Address  of  the  Southern  Baptists  I 
believe  that  you  brethren  have  given  us  a  succinct  and  ad¬ 
mirable  statement  of  our  holy  faith,  and  I  am  writing  to 
inquire  if  you  have  any  large  number  of  these  tracts  for  dis¬ 
tribution  among  the  churches  and  upon  what  terms  they  could 
be  secured.’’ 


Pennsylvania. 

“Sometime  since  I  received  a  pamphlet  setting  forth  the 
doctrinal  beliefs  of  Southern  Baptist  Convention,  and  inviting 
correspondence  with  those  who  were  of  a  like  mind.  I  am 
heartily  in  sympathy  with  the  faith  as  set  forth  therein.” 


Wisconsin. 

“Sometime  ago  I  received  a  copy  of  the  Fraternal  Ad¬ 
dress  of  Southern  Baptists  and  find  myself  in  complete  accord 
with  it.” 


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New  York. 

“The  Fraternal  Address  of  Southern  Baptists  is  before 
me.  I  have  read  it  through  for  the  third  time  and  I  am  glad 
to  say  that  I  consider  it  a  beautifully  comprehensive,  succinct 
and  accurate  statement  of  the  Baptist  doctrinal  position,  as  I 
see  it.” 

New  York. 

“Sometime  ago  I  received  a  copy  of  the  ‘Fraternal  Ad¬ 
dress  of  Southern  Baptists,’  and  at  your  invitation  I  would  like 
you  to  know  that  I  am  thoroughly  in  accord  with  the  message. 
I  am  a  Baptist  by  principle  and  not  by  birth.  The  paragraph 
on  Baptists  and  Christian  Union  express  admirably  my  senti¬ 
ments,  and  in  the  near  future  I  shall  borrow  its  outline  for  a 
sermon  topic.  I  wish  the  ‘Address’  might  be  placed  in  the 
hand  of  every  Baptist.” 

Wisconsin. 

“Have  read  ‘Fraternal  Address  of  Southern  Baptists’  you 
sent  me  and  gladly  endorse  every  statement  contained  therein.” 

Michigan. 

“Sometime  ago  I  received  your  Fraternal  Address  of 
Southern  Baptists.  Allow  me  to  inform  you  that  I  most 
heartily  assent  to  its  contents.” 

Massachusetts. 

“Sometime  ago  you  were  kind  enough  to  send  me,  free  of 
charge,  300  copies  of  the  ‘Fraternal  Address’  of  Southern 
Baptists.  You  may  be  interested  to  learn  that  we  have  used 
these  in  our  mid-week  prayer  services  for  eight  weeks  as  a 
text-book.  It  has  been  a  very  interesting  and  profitable  study. 
I  recommend  this  plan  to  brother  pastors.” 

Colorado. 

“As  indicated  in  my  previous  letter,  it  seems  to  me  the 
matter  is  presented  in  such  a  cogent,  brief  and  yet  compre¬ 
hensive  way,  and,  withal,  such  a  spirit  of  fairness,  as  to  make 
its  appeal  to  anyone  of  open  mind.” 

California. 

“I  read  with  great  interest  the  ‘Fraternal  Address’  of 
Southern  Baptists.  We  are  one  people  in  the  Lord.  Could 

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you  spare  some  copies  for  distribution  in  this  region?  If  you 
can  send  me  a  few  or  many  copies  I  Avill  seek  to  use  them  to 
the  glory  of  our  Lord.” 

Nebraska. 

“Having  received  a  few  copies  of  the  ‘Fraternal  Address 
of  Southern  Baptists,’  and  carefully  read  the  same,  I  distrib¬ 
uted  a  number  of  copies  among  our  members,  and  last  Sunday, 
February  15,  1920,  our  church  voted  unanimously  to  express 
themselves  in  agreement  with  the  articles  of  faith  set  forth 
therein,  and  to  extend  greetings  of  fellowship.” 

Iowa. 

“The  ‘Fraternal  Greeting’  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Con¬ 
vention  has  come  to  my  table.  I  consider  it  a  valuable  docu¬ 
ment  and  am  wondering  if  a  number  of  copies  could  be  se¬ 
cured.” 

Canada. 

“I  have  been  authorized  to  convey  to  you  the  following 
resolution  of  the  Leamington  (Ont.)  Baptist  Church,  and  have 
much  pleasure  in  so  doing: 

“  ‘Resolved,  That  we,  the  members  of  the  Baptist  Church 
at  Leamington,  Ont.,  desire  to  express  to  our  brethren  of  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention,  through  their  Secretary,  Rev. 
Dr.  Love,  our  sincere  thanks  for  their  kindness  in  sending  us 
125  copies  of  the  Fraternal  Address  of  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention.  Those  of  our  members  who  have  read  the  address 
are  convinced  that  it  is  the  most  concise  and  brotherly  state¬ 
ment  of  our  position  on  record.  We  join  together  in  prayer 
that  our  Lord  may  continue  to  bestow  upon  your  churches  His 
fullest  blessing.’  ” 

“The  Fraternal  Address  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  for 
simplicity  and  conciseness  and  comprehensiveness  for  the  space 
it  occupies.  It  is  doing  a  great  deal  of  good  among  our  people 
here,  and  is  greatly  appreciated  and  admired  by  my  own  people 
here.” 

“The  Fraternal  Address  is  most  timely  and  well  written. 
It  is  greatly  needed  and  will  do  much  good.  You  Southern 
Baptists  in  your  loyalty  to  the  Old  Book  and  consequent  loy¬ 
alty  to  the  Regular  Baptist  position  are  the  hope  of  the  Baptist 
world.  We  rejoice  in  your  great  prosperity.” 

13 


“That  address  is  truly  a  masterpiece  in  stating  the  po¬ 
sition  of  our  beloved  denomination.” 

“I  thank  you  for  the  further  package  of  the  ‘Fraternal 
Address.’  A  request  was  made  immediately  by  one  of  our 
seminary  professors  for  a  sufficient  number  of  copies  to  give 
one  copy  to  each  student  in  theological  departments  and  with 
which  request  I  was,  thanks  to  your  kindness,  able  to  comply. 
He  proposes  to  take  the  students  over  the  statement  in  the 
classroom.  What  we  sadly  need  here  is  an  indoctrination  of 
our  people  in  the  Baptist  position  as  outlined  in  that  ‘Fraternal 
Address.’  Our  people  need  to  he  brought  to  a  realization  that 
Baptists  are  the  people  of  destiny  and  that  our  contingent 
here  may  have  a  part  in  the  procession  if  they  are  loyal  to 
the  Baptists’  standard.  I  admire  the  clear-cut  utterances  of 
the  Southern  Baptists.” 

“It  is  certainly  an  admirable  setting  forth  in  concise  form 
of  the  position  of  the  Regular  Baptists,  and  so  clearly  and 
pointedly  that  it  cannot  be  misunderstood  and  at  the  same 
time  beautiful  in  diction  and  fraternal  in  spirit.  It  is  just  the 
statement  that  is  needed  in  all  our  churches  at  this  particular 
time.  I  have  just  complied  with  the  request  of  one  of  our 
ministers  for  a  supply  to  distribute  in  his  membership,  he  in¬ 
tending  to  emphasize  the  address  from  the  pulpit,  and  only 
j’^esterday  I  supplied  a  considerable  number  to  a  friend  who 
wished  to  send  same  to  Baptists  in  the  Maritime  provinces, 
and  so  they  go  and  the  good  seed  is  being  sown  widely.” 

“It  is  a  splendid  design  to  scatter  broadcast  in  all  tongues 
this  statement  of  Christian  doctrines,  and  to  my  mind  is  likely 
to  be  productive  of  more  real  vital  good  than  some  other  more 
ambitious  schemes  before  the  Christian  public  at  present.” 

England. 

“It  is  sometime  since  I  received  the  ‘Fraternal  Address’ 
from  the  Southern  Baptists  of  the  United  States  of  America. 
I  intended  to  reply  to  it  soon  after  its  arrival,  but  unfortu¬ 
nately  it  got  mislaid  and  has  only  now  turned  up  again.  I 
have  read  it  carefully  over  again,  and  heartily  endorse  all  its 
sentiments.” 

“It  contains  a  very  clear  and  complete  statement  of  the 
articles  of  faith  which  I  have  held  as  important  for  a  long  min- 

14 


isterial  life.  I  have  not  found  any  reason  for  doubting  or 
changing  them.  I  rejoice  to  think  that  the  3,000,000  Baptists 
of  the  Southern  States  are  fighting  the  good  fight  of  faith.” 

"I  thank  you  for  copy  of  the  ‘Fraternal  Address’  just  to 
hand  and  heartily  endorse  its  straightforward,  practical  tone. 
If  it  be  possible  to  mail  me  a  few  copies  I  should  be  glad 
and  will  willingly  forward  cost.  Kindly  enroll  us  as  amongst 
those  who  subscribe  to  the  articles  of  Faith  as  set  out  in  the 
address.” 

“I  write  to  thank  you  for  the  copy  of  ‘Fraternal  Ad¬ 
dress’  received  recently,  and  to  expi’ess  my  entire  acceptance 
of  the  position  as  there  stated.” 

‘‘Very  many  thanks  for  sending  me  a  copy  of  the  ‘Fra¬ 
ternal  Address  of  the  Southern  Baptists.’  I  rejoice  at  the 
stand  you  are  making  in  these  perilous  times  for  ‘God  and 
His  gospel.’  I  am  happy  to  find  myself  in  entire  agreement 
with  the  articles  of  faith  enumerated  in  the  address,  and  shall 
be  glad  to  know  and  hear  more  of  your  Convention.” 

‘‘I  am  in  hearty  agreement  with  the  sentiments  expressed 
in  the  address.  Personally  I  cannot  see  that  any  other  po¬ 
sition  can  be  held  by  us;  to  give  up  this  position  is  to  surrender 
our  claim  to  being  biblical;  and  I  always  thought  that  Bap¬ 
tists  felt  secure  simply  as  they  adhered  to  the  Bible.  I  trust 
many  others,  like  myself,  will  feel  strengthened  to  ‘Carry  on’ 
in  the  good  old  way.” 

‘‘I  thank  you  for  the  Fraternal  Address  of  the  Southern 
Baptists  with  which  I  am  in  agreement.  I  read  it  to  my  people 
and  it  was  much  appreciated.” 

‘‘Very  many  thanks  for  the  Fraternal  Address  received 
this  morning,  with  which  I  am  in  hearty  agreement.  We  are 
living  in  times  when  those  who  hold  the  Faith  and  are  held  by 
Him  of  whom  it  speaks  should  stand  together.” 

‘‘I  am  in  most  hearty  agreement  with  your  articles  of 
faith  received  a  day  or  so  ago,  in  the  form  of  the  Fraternal 
Address  of  Southern  Baptists.” 


Scotland. 

‘‘It  is  one  of  the  finest  and  best  phrased  declarations  of 
Baptist  principle  I  have  ever  seen  and  covers  the  whole  ground. 


15 


I  would  like  to  see  this  Fraternal  Address  in  the  hands  of  every 
Baptist  in  these  realms;  indeed,  in  the  hand  of  all  who  don’t 
understand  us  as  well.  It  is  such  an  excellent  apologia  for  our 
position.” 

“I  have  read  it  carefully  and  with  complete  agreement 
and  satisfaction.  It  is  full  and  clear  and  Scriptural,  and  such 
as  all  Baptists  ought  heartily  to  endorse.  In  fact,  I  have  never 
read  a  document  of  the  kind  with  such  pleasure  and  consent 
of  mind  and  heart  as  this  address  of  the  Southern  Baptists 
has  evoked.” 

Ireland. 

‘‘In  the  present  evil  days  we  need  more  the  dissemination 
of  the  simple  truths  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  set  forth  in 
your  Fraternal  Address,  and  I  pray  that  the  Lord  may  richly 
hless  the  distribution  of  the  pamphlet.  I  should  like  to  have 
further  fellowship  with  all  those  who  are  in  agreement  with 
the  articles  of  faith  outlined  in  the  address.” 


Wales. 

“The  Fraternal  Address  of  Southern  Baptists  has  given 
me  the  greatest  pleasure.  We  Welch  Baptists  are  of  the  same 
(strict  Baptists,  as  we  are  called)  thought  about  Paragraph 
6,  ‘The  Ordinances.’  A  death,  burial  and  resurrection  can  only 
be  symbolically  expessed  by  immersion,  and  by  believers  in 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  that  are  admitted  to  the  Supper.” 

“The  ‘Fraternal  Address  of  the  Baptist  Southern  Con¬ 
vention’  came  to  my  hand  this  week.  It  is  just  what  I  have 
been  hoping  to  see  published  by  some  loyal  and  faithful  brother. 
So  much  is  spoken  and  written  of  the  Union  of  the  Church 
these  days  that  I  think  it  is  important  that  we  should  take 
heed  as  Baptists.  Thank  God  for  it.  We  in  Wales  as  strict 
Baptists  (strict  communion)  are  watching  with  interest  this 
wave  of  unrest  amongst  the  churches  for  union.  It  is  very 
disturbing  for  the  weak  and  young.  Your  Fraternal  Address 
is  the  best  article  I  have  read  on  New  Testament  principles 
and  teaching,  and  is  the  most  noteworthy  Declaration  of  Faith 
ever  Issued  by  Baptists  and  should  be  read  by  all  members  of 
our  churches.” 


16 


Sweden. 

“The  Fraternal  Address  of  Southern  Baptists  has  reached 
us,  and  the  Baptists  in  Sweden  have  all  reason  to  welcome  it, 
as  they  hold  the  same  tenets  of  faith.” 

“Sundsvalls  Distrikt  Association  of  Baptist  Churches  held 
its  annual  meeting  at  the  city  of  Sundsvall  May  8  and  9,  1921. 
At  the  meeting,  to  which  Rev.  J.  Bystrom,  D.  D.,  of  Stock¬ 
holm,  was  called  to  preach  and  lecture,  there  was  distributed 
by  him  about  200  copies  of  your  ‘Fraternal  Address,’  which  is 
translated  to  Swedish.  Every  delegate  got  thus  a  copy  of  the 
book,  ‘Vad  vi  tro  och  lara,’  as  it  is  called  in  Swedish.  The 
meeting  received  it  gratefully  and  resolved  to  send  the  South¬ 
ern  Baptist  Convention  hearty  thanks  for  the  valuable  pamph¬ 
let.  We  are  sure  that  the  Fraternal  Address  will  do  much 
good  wherever  it  may  be  sent.  May  God  bless  you  in  all  your 
work  for  Christ  and  His  kingdom.” 

Norway. 

“An  edition  of  ten  thousand  copies  was  printed  and  is 
being  distributed  through  the  agency  of  our  pastors,  evangel¬ 
ists  and  church  workers.  One  of  our  preachers  has  reported 
that  the  very  first  copy  he  gave  away  was  read  by  a  man  and 
his  wife,  with  the  immediate  result  of  their  both  joining  a 
Baptist  Church.” 

Hungary. 

“We  have  your  Fraternal  Address  studied.  It  caused  for 
us  joy,  that  we  believed  and  believe  the  same  as  you  and 
teach  the  truth  of  the  Lord  in  same  way.” 

Spain. 

“I  received  the  ‘Mensaje  Fraternal  de  los  Beautistas  del 
Sur  de  Estados  Unidos’  and  have  read  it  with  interest  and 
can  subscribe  to  all  it  says.” 


Italy. 

‘I  find  myself  in  whole-hearted  agreement  with  the  arti¬ 
cles  of  faith  and  the  whole  contents  and  spirit  of  the  ‘Fraternal 
Address.’  ” 

Franc  e- 

“Your  ‘Fraternal  Address’  has  been  highly  appreciated. 

17 


Several  of  our  pastors  and  laymen  who  have  received  it  have 
come  to  me  to  say  how  much  they  have  enjoyed  its  clear  ring.” 

“Your  ‘Fraternal  Address’  has  been  the  means  here  to  lead 
a  young  Wesleyan  school  teacher  to  see  believers’  baptism.” 

Poland. 

“Dr  Strzelec  has  translated  into  Polish  your  article  ‘Fra¬ 
ternal  Address’  and,  according  to  his  wish,  we  have  printed 
10,000  copies,  which  we  have  distributed  as  follows: 

“1.  To  officials,  functionaries,  government  officers,  con¬ 
stables,  judges,  lawyers,  post  and  telegraph  administrators. 

“2.  To  professors,  teachers,  students,  seminarists.  Catholic 
priests,  clergymen,  doctors. 

“3.  To  merchants,  manufacturers,  directors,  managers,  em¬ 
ployees. 

“4.  To  noblemen,  land  proprietors,  agriculturists,  farmers. 

“5.  And  finally  to  the  people. 

“We  sincerely  hope,  God  helping,  that  these  pamphlets 
will  be  a  blessing  to  our  country.  Had  we  means  at  our  dis¬ 
posal,  we  would  give  your  article  a  much  greater  circulation, 
for  there  is  here  a  large  field  for  the  advancement  of  gospel 
truth.” 

“We  have  printed  another  100,000  copies  of  same  in  Pol¬ 
ish  and  20,000  in  Russian  language,  which  we  distribute  grad¬ 
ually  as  far  as  we  can  reach.  Later  we  will  send  you  a  re¬ 
port  concerning  its  use  and  usefulness.” 

China. 

“Pastor  Kao  and  myself  have  been  appointed  by  the 
church  here  to  express  to  you  our  very  high  appreciation  of 
the  Fraternal  Letter  sent  out  by  you  sometime  ago,  and  now 
put  into  Chinese  and  widely  distributed  in  our  territory.  We 
believe  its  very  careful  and  clear  statement  of  distinctive 
Baptist  doctrines  will  greatly  strengthen  our  membership,  and 
that  its  fraternal  feature  will  be  helpful  to  others  as  well.” 

Burma. 

“In  common  with  many  others,  I  have  received  a  copy 
of  the  Fraternal  Address  of  Southern  Baptists,  and  reply  as 
one  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  articles  therein  expressed.  If 
I  had  more  copies  would  be  pleased  to  hand  them  to  a  few 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  this  city.” 

18 


“I  have  been  giving  them  out  as  occasion  offers,  and  have 
placed  them  in  the  hands  of  the  editors  of  some  of  our  many 
vernacular  religious  monthlies  for  translation  and  insertion  in 
sections.  I  have  not  seen  any  of  it  yet  in  print,  but  as  soon 
as  I  do  will  send  you  a  copy.” 

India. 

“I  have  read  it  with  the  keenest  interest  and  appreciation. 
I  have  never  read  a  statement  at  once  so  concise  and  com¬ 
prehensive  of  the  truth  we  hold  to  be  fundamental,  nor  so 
satisfactory  an  expression  of  the  position  that  we  as  Baptists 
must  take  with  reference  to  our  relation  to  other  bodies  of 
Christians  and  to  the  proposals  of  union  with  which  every 
country  seems  so  rife  at  present.  I  believe  you  are  right  in 
saying  that  the  principles  you  outline  are  ‘not  incidental  or 
detachable  opinions,  but  cardinal  teachings  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  and  vital  to  genuine  Christianity.’  ” 

Russian  and  Ukrainian  Baptists. 

“On  the  annual  Convention  of  the  Russian  and  Ukrainian 
Baptists  of  United  States  and  Canada,  Eastern  Section,  May 
6-9,  1920,  Waterbury  Conn.,  was  read  the  ‘Fraternal  Address 
of  Southern  Baptists.’  The  reading  rose  a  great  enthusiasm 
among  the  delegates,  because  they  felt  that  the  Southern  Bap¬ 
tists  do  believe  the  same  biblical  truths  whatfore  our  brethren 
and  sisters  have  suffered  persecution  in  Russia.  With  a  great 
joy  all  the  delegates  unanimously  voted  to  accept  this  address 
and  thanked  God  that  the  great  Southern  Baptist  Convention 
not  only  stands  on  these  fundamental  doctrines,  but  proclaims 
them  throughout  the  whole  world.  An  unanimous  desire  was 
expressed  to  publish  the  Address  in  Russia,  first  in  the  Con¬ 
vention  paper,  and  then  distribute  it  in  thousands  among  the 
churches.  The  Ukrainians  begged  to  see  it  translated  and 
distributed  among  their  own  people. 

“With  Christian  greetings  on  behalf  of  the  Convention. 

“JOHN  DAVIDUK, 

“President  of  the  Convention; 

“BORIS  BOOKIN,  Secretary.” 


The  Fraternal  Address  has  given  proof  of  several 
Ihings  which  are  worthy  to  be  remembered — 

1.  It  has  given  proof  of  the  unity  of  the  Baptist 
people  in  faith  and  spirit. 

2.  It  has  furnished  gratifying  proof  that  the  Bap¬ 
tist  witness  is  borne  faithfully  in  many  lands.  We 
have  in  hand  the  most  gratifying  evidence  that  the 
great  majority  of  Baptists  the  world  over  are  as  or¬ 
thodox*  as  Southern  Baptists. 

3.  It  has  increased  our  appreciation  of  Baptist 
strength  both  in  numbers  and  faith.  Baptists  are  no 
longer  a  feeble  folk.  With  a  wise  co-ordination  of 
tlieir  forces,  loyalty  to  their  principles  and  faithful 
service  to  humanity,  they  will  shortly  multiply  their 
numbers  many  fold.  The  world  was  never  so  hospita¬ 
ble  to  the  principles  which  distinguish  Baptists  as  it 
is  today. 

4.  It  has  revealed  the  readiness  of  all  Baptist  groups 
for  a  closer  fellowship  and  suggested  that  there  are 
great  possibilities  in  the  strengthening  of  the  bonds  of 
fellowship  and  deepening  the  sense  of  comradeship 
among  all  Baptists.  There  have  been  but  two  re- 
s])onses  to  the  address  which  indicated  dissent  from  it 
or  resent  of  it.  One  of  these  was  in  the  form  of  a  let¬ 
ter  from  a  man  who  confessed  that  he  had  come  out 
cf  the  war  shell-shocked,  and  the  other  was  in  the  form 
of  a  communication  to  one  of  our  denominational 
papers.  To  some  of  the  smaller  groups  and  many  iso¬ 
lated  and  sorely  tried  brethren  this  fraternal  message 
brought  great  joy  and  gave  new  hope.  One  of  them 
refers  to  it  as  “like  a  drink  of  refreshing  mountain 
water  to  find  a  large  body  of  ministers  in  the  IT.  S.  A. 


20 


standing  by  the  old  truths.”  The  gratitude  and  joy 
of  our  brethren  in  discovering  that  they  are  a  part  of 
a  great  and  solicitous  brotherhood  bound  together  in  a 
common  faith  is  one  of  most  gratifying  incidents  of 
correspondence. 

5.  We  name  one  other  suggestion  which  this  cor¬ 
respondence  has  for  our  Baptist  people,  namely,  the 
unused  and  yet  unlimited  power  for  good  of  Christian 
and  denominational  literature.  The  highest  and  holiest 
use  that  was  ever  made  of  the  printing  press  has  been 
to  publish  the  gospel.  Viewed  as  a  providential  in¬ 
vention,  I  doubt  not  that  this  was  what  it  was  made 
for.  The  Sunday  School  Board  has  made  possible  the 
results  which  have  been  realized  from  this  experiment 
in  the  circulation  of  denominational  literature.  We 
have,  for  many  years,  had  the  profoundest  conviction 
that  the  Sunday  School  Board  of  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention  is  set  for  a  marvellous  service.  It  is  doubt¬ 
ful  if  in  all  the  great  achievements  of  this  Board  or 
in  the  history  of  Southern  Baptist  Foreign  Missions, 
the  amount  of  money  which  the  Sunday  School  Board 
has  put  into  this  piece  of  missionary  propaganda  ever 
accomplished  so  much.  We  believe  that  this  Fraternal 
Address  has  opened  up  communications  created  a  fel¬ 
lowship,  given  heart  and  incited  activities  which  will, 
in  their  unfolding  through  the  years  to  come,  prove 
this  to  have  been  a  great  missionary  investment.  It 
is  interesting  to  recall  that  a  religious  tract,  on 
‘‘Communion,”  written  by  Dr.  R.  B.  C.  Howell,  a 
Southern  Baptist,  was  used  of  God  as  a  means  to  open 
the  eyes  of  the  intrepid  John  G.  Oncken  to  the  truth 
as  Baptists  hold  it,  and  started  him  on  his  career  of 
evangelization  and  propaganda  in  Germany,  which 
carried  him  and  his  influence  over  many  parts  of  the 

21 


Continent  of  Europe,  and  made  him,  more  than  any 
other  man,  the  founder  of  the  denomination  on  the 
continent.  In  the  Fraternal  Address  Southern  Bap¬ 
tists  have  established  contact  not  only  with  the  Bap¬ 
tists  of  Europe,  but  of  the  world.  It  is  the  hope  and 
dream  of  the  writer  that  this  is  but  a  beginning  in 
the  use  of  the  printed  page  by  Southern  Baptists  to 
reinforce  their  brethren  of  every  land  by  assurance  of 
love  and  practical  concern  for  their  welfare,  and  in 
the  proclamation  of  the  faith  which  accounts  for  our 
strength  in  the  South  and  is  our  chief  means  of  ser¬ 
vice  to  the  world.  The  Foreign  Mission  Board  has 
meant  this  to  be  an  experiment  and  a  demonstration, 
and  to  follow  it  up  with  the  selection  and  use  of  devo¬ 
tional,  doctrinal  and  denominational  pamphlets  and 
books  as  a  most  economical  form  of  missionary  propa¬ 
ganda.  The  Board  is  preparing  to  reinforce  its  mis¬ 
sionaries  by  the  use  of  literature  adopted  to  use  on  the 
respective  fields,  and  to  make  larger  use  of  its  publish¬ 
ing  houses  on  the  fields. 

As  a  closing  word,  the  writer  would  record  his  pro¬ 
found  gratitude  and  joy  in  having  the  privilege  of 
acting  as  a  sort  of  middleman  between  his  brethren 
cf  the  South  and  other  lands.  It  has  been  a  rich  ex¬ 
perience  to  handle  the  correspondence  with  Baptists 
of  many  nationalities  and  from  every  part  of  the  globe 
and  have  evidence  of  the  ties  that  hind. 


22 


V 


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